Ch.32Chapter 32

“Delicious.” As I hummed while moving my fork, the Professor spoke up first.

“If you make a study group, you can get a lot of advice. You could receive good information from third-years, and if no third-years join, you can study with books I recommend occasionally.”

Karen’s anxious-looking hand froze in place.

“Will third-years join too?”

“We’ll have to ask them. You need enough people to call it a group, right?”

Karen hesitated, then carefully looked around.

“…Um.”

“I’m making this suggestion because I’ve seen you studying before the semester even started. I could at least lend you some of my books.”

The Professor made the suggestion as if asking what she thought. Her twitching hand moved over the steak and quietly pierced the meat.

“Research on Demon Gods is still ongoing, so things could change at any time. Wouldn’t it be good to receive updated information from me occasionally?”

“…I think so. But as a first-year, I feel like I’d just be receiving help one-sidedly rather than studying together, so…”

The Professor’s offer was attractive, but Karen seemed hesitant, perhaps concerned about only receiving without giving. The Professor realized what she was hesitating about and smiled.

Then those blue eyes eventually turned toward me.

“Then I think it would be good if our Ourr could teach a little writing.”

The Professor’s fork with meat on it subtly pointed at me. I looked at the Professor with wide eyes.

Karen looked back and forth between the Professor and me, then fixed her gaze on me.

“Writing… that’s fine. But she speaks well…?”

“Ah, you really just need to teach her writing. Since she can communicate verbally, she learns quickly, so it’ll be rewarding to teach her.”

“Then I’ll do it… the study group.”

“Then it’s decided.”

The Professor shrugged.

After dinner, I was busy when I got home.

Since we decided to form a study group, I needed to contact people who would join. So I immediately picked up my phone and searched through my contacts.

I’m still not familiar with the letters, so it’s difficult to use the phone’s features, but making calls is always possible, so I easily moved my fingers.

Come to think of it, Sera and Aria attended the same lecture on Friday morning.

“Hmm.”

Wondering who to contact first, I called Sera.

[Ourr~ Why are you calling first? I was going to contact you tonight.]

“Ah, yes. Sera. Are you interested in joining a study group? The Professor will be in charge, and a first-year named Karen said she’d join.”

I put the phone on speaker and set it down. Holding the large phone to my ear was quite laborious, so I just lay face down on the floor.

Sera’s loud voice filled the room.

[Study group? Why?]

“The Professor will teach us, and it’s like a small club where we can study together…”

[Hmm, really? Then I’ll join. It’s Professor Yuria in charge, right?]

“Yeah, that’s right.”

She agreed surprisingly quickly. Since she was considering attending an academy, I wondered if she wanted to make a good impression on Professor Yuria.

I crossed my legs, swinging them, then suddenly stopped.

“By the way, do I have class with you tomorrow?”

[Hmm, what do you think~ Do you want to attend class with me, Ourr?]

“I don’t know. I’m going to hang up now? I need to call Aria too…”

After making a dismissive sound at Sera’s question, I reached for the end call button.

[W-wait.]

Surprised by my decisive answer, Sera stopped me. From the phone not far from my paused hand, Sera’s voice continued.

[Hey, I want to see you, so I was just wondering if you didn’t want to see me.]

Her glib voice made me chuckle. It wasn’t entirely unpleasant, so the corners of my mouth turned up.

It wasn’t exactly that I liked it, nor that I disliked it—more of an ambiguous feeling in between. Anyway, I shook my head at Sera’s words and casually spoke up.

“—Hmm, then will you come pick me up tomorrow morning?”

[Of course. I already told the Professor.]

“Huh, when?”

[This afternoon by email?]

She’s quick. I didn’t know she had such good initiative.

“Anyway, I got it. I’m going to call Aria now, so I’ll hang up.”

[Oh, fine. I understand. Hang up. See you tomorrow!]

“Yeah, see you tomorrow.”

I said goodbye to Sera as a closing. Sera hung up first, though reluctantly. After lying still on the closet floor, I moved again.

I tapped the screen to find Aria’s contact.

“Hello?”

[Hello. Oh, Ourr?]

Aria responded like someone who just received a random call.

[I was just about to take a bath when the phone rang. You should have called a little later.]

Aria seemed to enjoy talking with someone while bathing. I wasn’t sure if all elves were like that, or just the elves from Aria’s garden, but it seemed to have become a habit.

Having always been in a cheerful atmosphere, I suppose it would be difficult to suddenly be alone in silence.

“No, it’s fine.”

I smiled wryly. Since I hadn’t lived as an elf, I could understand but not quite empathize.

Originally, talking on the phone with someone who was bathing felt a bit awkward. Though bathing with the Professor daily had removed my resistance to bathing with others, that didn’t mean I was comfortable with just anyone, so I shook my head.

[So? Why did you call? Are we meeting at tomorrow’s lecture? Or can’t you come?]

“Umm, I think we’ll meet…”

I recalled my conversation with Sera. Well, that might be important too, but that wasn’t why I called, so I changed the subject.

“More importantly, I was wondering if you’d like to join a study group with the Professor…? That’s why I called.”

[Study group? Hmm… why?]

Yeah, why? How should I answer that?

It didn’t seem right to say we formed it just because Karen wanted to study, and I wondered if I should explain it as a small group researching Demon Gods.

Come to think of it, not just Karen but Sera also had her own goals. Maybe Aria would join with her own objectives too.

“Well, Sera said she wanted to create her own original, and a first-year named Karen said she wanted to study… that’s the kind of feeling of those joining. Do you have anything you want to do, Aria?”

I wondered what Aria wanted when she left the elven garden to come to this crowded Academy.

Thinking about it, that might be a good reason for her to join the study group.

[Hmm, well… I don’t mind.]

“Huh?”

[I can join. I’m a third-year, so I need to write a graduation thesis anyway. I should do it for that reason at least.]

Aria chuckled. I expected some grand answer, but she gave a response that seemed focused on putting out the immediate fire.

It wasn’t bad, but it was a bit deflating. I just found myself chuckling.

[What’s so funny? You’ll understand when you attend the Academy longer. Just deciding on a graduation thesis topic is a struggle…]

“Yeah, yeah. I got it.”

When I answered with a giggle, Aria sighed as if I knew nothing.

Though Aria’s expression and tone made her seem like an emotionless, dull person, listening to what she said somehow kept making me laugh.

It wasn’t particularly funny content, but the way she expressed her thoughts without any expression gave that impression.

[Ah, I’ve made many friends, and I wish we could all go to a hot spring together someday. Regular bathhouses are fine too, but I feel like I’m being a nuisance to others there, so I don’t like that.]

“…Telling me won’t help.”

[I know, I know. The Professor has to be there, right? How about when you’re older and can go alone?]

“Will Aria continue to stay here?”

Aria pondered my question for a moment.

[…I wonder? I don’t know. I’ll go back when there’s nothing left to do, but I don’t see a reason to return now.]

It seemed Aria had left the garden just for fun. Seeing her quiet yet impulsive side made me wonder if this was a form of rebellion.

Setting aside my questions, I ended the call, saying I understood.

At first, the days felt too boring and long, but as I gained more people to talk with and they all responded positively, I felt more at ease.

It’s difficult to approach others first, but it’s so comfortable and nice when people approach me.

As I sprawled on the floor with my phone beside me, the closet door creaked open.

“Ourr, don’t lie in the closet, come out.”

The Professor kept finding me whenever I tried to create a personal space and pulled me out. Dragged into the living room, I lay down on the floor next to the sofa.

“But it was cozy and nice there…”

“Then should we go lie down in the bedroom? Isn’t that cozy?”

I shook my head. The Professor made a “really?” expression and lay down next to me.

Lying side by side in the living room, I looked at the Professor’s profile before turning my gaze to the ceiling.

“Professor, don’t I have my own room?”

“…Well. I think that would be difficult for now.”

Of course, since I’m a Demon God, I must follow the rule of not being alone.

Though I can freely move within the Academy as an Academy member, the moment I go outside, I must stay within a certain radius of the Professor.

When will I be free? Perhaps when the Professor’s research is completely finished?

Waiting is tiring, but thinking that it’s much better than my previous life makes it bearable. Plus, with my growing circle of friends, waiting doesn’t seem like such a hard task anymore.